Trip lock



1943- H. w. NEUNHERZ 2,327,735

TRIP LOCK Filed April 24; 1941 E (F51 g .26 aa- Inventor HarberZ'WMtrnhez Patented Aug. 24, 1943 UNITED STATES OFFICE.

. f I 2,327,735 A "rarr LooK HerbertW. Neunherz, Gardner, Mass. Application Apri124, 1941 Serial Q.-390,153 I (01. 292-4) 11 Claims.

This invention relates to trip lock in general and more particularly as herein illustrated the invention is applied as a locking medium-for the drop side of an iniants crib.

Objects ofthe invention includ the provision an easily accessible trip lever and during which movement are axially movable by means of stationary cams to be retracted fromnotches in the drop side guide rods; and the provision of a trip look a above described which may beeasily actuated by the knee of the operator to unlock the drop side from it guides, and which is provided with spring means to automatically extend the locking means into locking engagement with the guides upon removal of pressure from the trip lever.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 'drawing, in which Fig. l is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the same in its relation to the crib, parts of which are broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear viewofthe trip parts shown in Fig. '1, parts being broken away-and showing the mechanism in unlocked condition; Fi 3 Fig. 2;

ciated parts showing a modification;

Fig. 5 is a front'view of the invention according to the modification of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional View similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modification "of the trip lever.

Referring to Fig. 1, the front crib posts are indicated at ill, these posts being provided with lower angle brackets i2 which retain the lower ends of the drop side guides l4. These u des are secured to the crib posts at their upper ends by means of bolts it, as shown. The guides are each provided with a pair of locking notches as at Hi. i

The bottom rod of the drop side is shown at 2B and it will be understood that this dropside per se will be substantially the same as the eonventional crib drop side with an upper bar and connecting spindles not here shown. The bar 2i) is apertured adjacent each end to be slidingly received on the guides l i,'as is indicated at 22. inwardly from these apertures a pair of brackets 2d are secured to the bottom side of the bar '20 by screws or other convenient means. Brackets 2 3 are each provided with a pair of down-turned apertured ears 26 through which rod 28 slidably Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cams and asso-' is a cross section on the line 3-3 of extend. The rods 28 arearranged in the ears lowermost position, thus exposing one side of the crib. r i

Spaced from the down-turned ends 39, rods 28 are provided with swaged portionsor other stopping means 32. A trip lever 34 having right angled ears lit is suspended from the rods so as to pivot thereon, and the ears 3?: together with portions 32 provide abutment means for the ends of compress on springs 38. The downturned ends of rods 28 ordinarily will lie in vertical position abutting the rear surface of trip lever. at such that when the lever 35 is swung clockwise about rods 28 as a pivot, it obviously contacts the down-turned ends it! and thus turns the rods 28 a partial revolution. It will be observed that springs 38 constantly urge the rods 28 to locking position in notches l8, but when the rods are retracted Irom the notches they may ride on the inner surfaces of the guide rods i4 and there will be no locking action even though pressure iS released iromlever 34;

A U-shapedbracket 4k] is attached to the bar '20 so that the legs or the Ustraddle the lower edge of the, bar and the latter isspaced from the connection between the legs, see Fig. 3. -The bracket 4c is provided with a cut-out slot 52.

This slot is in thei'orm oi a trapezoid and its longer edge mi lies on the curve of the bracket more closely adjacent to one leg than the other,

' as will be clear rromv a comparison oi Figs. 3 and a. The converging sides 40 or the trapezoid extend along the curve or the bracket Aw between its legs and terminate on one leg closely adjacent to the rear edge or the bottom or the bar it. The own-turned ends or angles at are arranged to lie in the slot, t: and obviously spring .13 iorces tnese ends to bear against Bile converging sides n: at all times. The sides 46 are essentially cam suriaces as will be ater described. Bracket w is provided with integralpiece a: for the purpose or providing bearings Ior roos Zii so as to support the latter.

'As shown in hlg. a, the springs 38 may be dispensedwitn and asingle u spring M which bears outvvardl'y against the down-turned ends 30 and be provided with an upstanding lug 52 to act as a stop against the edge M of the slot 42 so that the lever may not travel any further in a counterclockwise direction than as showndn Fig. 6. 3

continually urge said rod towards the notch, and means to selectively retract the rod, said means comprising a fixed bracket having a surface inclined with respect to said rod, a part ofsaid' rod engaging said surface, and a separate pivoted lever adapted to engage said part to turn the rod so as to slide said part on said surface The device operates as follows: With the parts as shown at rest in Fig. l, the springs 38 provide means whereby the straight ends cf'rods' 28 are located in the upper notches l8, and it being desired to lower the drop side to which the lock is connected, as shown, the trip" lever 34 is moved by the hand or knee of the operator in a clockwise direction, see Fig; 3, so 'thattlie same would be pivoted towards the observer in M Fig. 1. The trip lever 34 abutting th'e'downturned ends 30 or the rods 28 'will'clearly turn 'the same for a partial rotation about the rods 28 as an axis.

the down-turned e'nds'fiil thus constantly engage the converging edges 56 of bracket '40, theefn'ds 38 will be forced towards each other as shown in Fig. 2 as the lever is swung clockwise in Fig. 3. The down-turned ends the'surfaces t6 and thus approach each other, drawing rods 28 out of the notches l8. As'soon as the rods '28 are free of notches I8, the drop side will start to descend by gravity and pressure maybe released from lever 3'4 smegma rods 23 will ride on the inner surface "or the guides M as shown in Fig. 2 When the drop, side is low enough, springs 38 will automatically urge rods 23 into engagement with the lower notches l8 "and mu in drop side most position. 4 v v Thi invention has been illustrated as applied to anarticle of furniture suchfas a'drop side of a crib, but it is contemplated that "the sairie structure may be used to mcka'ny two relatively movable members such as doors, windows, etc.

Having thus des cribedi m'y invention and "the advantages thereof, '1 do not wish to be limited "to the detail herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the e '1. In a deviceof the class described, a pair of relatively movable elements, meansto lock said elements together including a depre's'sionj'o n one element and'a rod slidable into and oiit of 'said depression and'l'ocated on the other element,

resilient means to urge said red towards depression-entering position, and ineans to withdraw said rod from such position, said'la st'rnentioned means comprising a cam, 'a projection 'o-n'sai'd rod engaging said cam, a separate lever engaging said projection and adapted'to rotate the same against the cam, the latter belh g fiotive t6 'fOiC e said rod away from the depressionupon actuation of said lever. "j 2 A device as'recited in claim 1, in which the resilientm'eans is effective to hold the projection against the cam. a I v 3. In a device o'f the class described, two relatively slidable elements, a'notch' in one element "an'd'a 'ro'd'on the other element slidable into'a'nd out of engagement with "said notch, means to However, since the springs corltinuously urge the rods 23 outwardly and since as thus in effect rideup will be locked lowerclaims, what I claif ri is z --away from said notch.

4. In a device of the class described, a support,

aU-shaped bracket depending therefrom, a rod 'vjournale'd in said bracket and having an angular 7 projection, a cam, on said bracket extending from "between its legs angularly partly across one leg ina direction away from said rod, means continually urging said projection against said cam, and means to slide said projection over said cam to thereby move 'said rod ina direction against the action of said urging means.

5. In a device of the class described a Support.

a bracket thereon, a slot'in' said bracket having closed ends and conver ing a of d extending into said, bracket and having angles thereon hooked into the slot so that said angles engage opposite converging sides of said slot,

springmeans urging said rods in a direction to hold said angles against the slot sides,and means to partially rot-ate, saidrods, whereby said angles are normally, located at the wider end of the slot and are movable by said last namedfmeans t d- Wards the narrower end of'the slot to draw .s'all'd angles toward each other.

e. In a device of the class described, a'braeket having parallel legsand an arcuate connection thereb'etween, a slot in said bracket located sun stantially in said arcuate connection, said s16 having converging sides extending toward one of said legs, a pair of aline'drods having bent ends I located in said slot,'spring means to urge. said rods apart and the bent ends against said convergingssides, a lever pivoted on said rods and eiiective to rotat'efsai'd rods engagement with 1 said bent ends, whereby the latter Will ride up and h s be 7 on the converging sides of the slot forced War @9h:Qt 1'-. f .c a

7. In a device of the class described, a bracket of general U shape'h avinga slot therein extensing along the closed end of the U, said slot hav- 1 ing converging sides and closed ends, a pi ir of rotatable rods, having bent ends located the, slot, means to yieldingly hold each. bent endin a contact with a separate converging side of the 1 slot so that bent ends normally-rest adjacent the wider end ofthe slot,- and manual means torot ate said-rods sothat said bent ends travel along said I slot sides and approach each other, whereby said rods are drawn toward cache-then 8. Atdevice as recited in claim 7 wherein said yielding holding means tends to return said. bent ends andsaid manual-means to a position of rest with said bent endsadjacent the wider end ot the slot 9. A device as recited in claim '7 wherein said 7 manual means -comprises bent ends; I

1.0. A device as recited iii-claim 7 wherein said a lever engaging said manual means comprises :a lever, pivoted .on said rods,

ll, .A device asgrecited plain-1:7 wherein said nanuaLmeans comprises a lever, there being ra s o re n fo age e h, sai brinkl HERBER T W. I 

